With further wins from the critics groups, Mank is firming as a genuine lock for Best Production Design. While its chances elsewhere still remain unclear, the stunning period designs of Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale seem like the film’s strongest chance to take home at least one Oscar.
That’s not to suggest there aren’t other players in the hunt. The gorgeous period stylings in The Personal History of David Copperfield is certainly the type of production design the Academy usually fawns over. While Searchlight Pictures’ focus is naturally on Nomadland, they’d be wise to push this little gem to snatch an upset victory.
As for the remaining slots, they’re all essentially wide-open. The dazzling ancient Asian designs in Mulan and the classic Western style of News of the World are both firmly in contention. Keep an eye on Tenet. If the Academy is looking to acknowledge one contemporary nominee, it’s likely to be Kathy Lucas and five-time nominee Nathan Crowley.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN PREDICTIONS:
1. Mank (Netflix)
Donald Graham Burt (production designer), Jan Pascale (set decorator)
2. The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures)
Cristina Casali (production designer), Charlotte Dirickx (set decorator)
3. News of the World (Universal Pictures)
David Crank (production designer), Elizabeth Keenan (set decorator)
4. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Mark Ricker (production designer), Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton (set decorators)
5. Mulan (Disney)
Grant Major (production designer), Anne Kuljian (set decorator)
MAJOR CONTENDERS:
Ammonite (Neon)
Sarah Finlay (production designer), Sophie Hervieu (set decorator)
Emma. (Focus Features)
Kave Quinn (production designer), Stella Fox (set decorations)
Jim Clay (production designer), Abi Groves (set designer)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Gavin Bocquet (production designer), Rob Cameron (set decorator)
Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
Sam Lisenco (production designer), Rebecca Brown (set decorator)
The Midnight Sky (Netflix)
Jim Bissell (production designer), John Bush (set decorator)
One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
Page Buckner (production designer), Janessa Hitsman (set decorator)
The Prom (Netflix)
Jamie Walker McCall (production designer), Gene Serdena (set decorator)
Tenet (Warner Bros)
Nathan Crowley (production designer), Kathy Lucas (set decorator)
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)
Daniel T. Dorrance (production designer), Pascale Deschênes (set decorator)
Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros.)
Aline Bonetto (production designer), Anna Lynch-Robinson (set decorator)